Changes affect living things

(part 1)
What are some ways
environments change?

Weather can change an environment.

Rain can make plants grow and blossom.
Too much rain can cause floods. Not
enough rain can turn green plants brown.
Lightning can start fires in a dry grassland
or forest.
Some changes last only a short time.
Some last much longer. Earthquakes,
storms, and volcanic eruptions can
make sudden changes. These changes
might last for years
Some living things recover quickly from
environmental changes. Grasses might
come back soon after a fire. But trees may
take many years to grow back.
Some changes can last forever. People may cut down all the trees in a place
to build roads. Pollution in rivers and lakes can be lasting.
Changes affect animals
and plants.

A habitat is a living thing’s home.

Changes to a habitat can hurt the living
things there. Their water might dry up.
Food might become hard to find. Their
adaptations may not help them survive
big changes.
Some living things may need to find a new
place to live. Others may need to find new
ways to live. Those that cannot move or
change their ways might die.
During a dry spell, water in the
savanna might dry up. Some animals
would need to move to find new
water. Others might dig down into the
ground and wait there for rain.
Plants cannot move when their
habitats change. They might die.
Animals such as fish might also die if
their habitat dries up.